Less than two weeks into his new role, the Chief of Police of Osceola, Arkansas, faces an external investigation initiated by the mayor after he was caught on camera roughing up a disabled Black man.
Video footage from April 6 shows Chief Robert “Bobby” Ephlin slapping a man in the face while he was sitting in a wheelchair.
“He smacked me. He smacked the hell out of me. Then choked me,” said Danarius Williams, who has been paralyzed from the waist down for 13 years.
Williams told local station K8 News that police had been called to his neighborhood and that he had rolled out of his home to ask questions about the incident when he encountered Ephlin.
Other officers were reportedly at Williams’ house, handcuffing his 15-year-old son and his wife, who had called police to the scene over a fight involving the boy and other teens. Williams said he exercised his right to remain silent and told Ephlin to step back when he invaded his personal space, and that’s when the police chief allegedly lost his cool and lashed out.
“I felt belittled, to be honest, for one, and for two, it’s just embarrassing to just feel helpless and powerless through the whole situation,” Williams said.
The clip blew up online, drawing thousands of views within hours. In the footage, Elphin stood over Williams and told him, “That right there is why you’re gonna go to jail. Do not touch me like that…” just before raising his hand. As Williams struggled to right himself in his wheelchair, screams erupted from shocked neighbors, and one unidentified woman courageously told the police chief, “You can’t do that!”
Less than 12 days after being sworn in as Chief of the Osceola Police Department on March 26, 2026, Robert "Bobby" Ephlin was filmed slapping a disabled man in a wheelchair.
— LASHY BILLS (@LASHYBILLS) April 7, 2026
The incident has sparked outrage in the community, with many questioning how this aligns with his public… pic.twitter.com/TzbVbNrlxT
Elphin said that Williams hit him first, but the woman filming disputed that claim, saying, “No, nuh uh. He didn’t slap you. It’s on camera… You’re gonna be fired.”
It’s unclear if Elphin was placed on administrative leave, and the Osceola Police Department is not commenting on the situation. However, Williams wasted little time filing a formal complaint. “I already pressed charges against the chief. I did that as soon as I left there, while I was in the emergency room last night.”
Osceola Mayor Joe Harris Jr. has called for an independent investigation. An April 7 press release from the city of Osceola confirms that a formal review by an outside agency has been initiated “to ensure all the facts are collected and evaluated in a fair, transparent, and accountable manner.”
It promised that “appropriate actions would be taken,” but would make no further comment until the review was complete.
Williams remains skeptical. He told the outlet, “If they have no respect and no regard for my rights — I’m in a wheelchair, I’m disabled — what you think they’ll do to one of y’all? What do you think they will do to your family?”
